Still playing the victim
Thursday, Sep 15, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Congressman Joe Walsh’s new attorney is as adept at playing the victim card as her client. She released this press release about the Sun-Times story on yesterday’s child support court hearing…
Contrary to the erroneous Sun Times story, there was no order entered requiring Representative Walsh to appear on the next court date.
The next court date is a status proceeding not a hearing which was also erroneously reported by the Sun-Times.
The Court simply requested that both attorneys provide him with copies of their respective pleadings on the November 8th date after I asked for the ability to file new pleadings which I expect will fully set forth Rep. Walsh’s responses to the allegations of his former wife.
Pursuant to Illinois statutes the burden of proof now shifts to Rep Walsh upon the Rule issuing.
Mr. Walsh is very satisfied with the judge’s orders of today, as it will finally afford him the opportunity to present his case to the court.
Let’s take these point by point, shall we?
1) The Sun-Times never claimed that Walsh was ordered to appear at the next court date. In fact, just the opposite was reported…
But after Laura Walsh’s attorney said he didn’t think the congressman needed to appear at the next hearing, [Cook County Circuit Judge Raul Vega ] ultimately did not issue an order requiring the congressman to appear.
2) A “status proceeding” and a “hearing” are close enough for daily reporting, but whatever.
3) If Congressman Walsh is “very satisfied’ with the judge’s orders, then why did he fight so hard in court? What was the purpose of actively pursuing his ex by subpoenaing her employer to the point where she had to ask a judge to knock it off?
Walsh and his mouthpiece want to make the media the issue here. The issue, however, is Walsh.
- OneMan - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 7:24 am:
Yeah but playing the ‘big bad media card’ is part of the Walsh playbook
- Lulabell - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 7:59 am:
And to just quietly go along gets him no press and no chance to be the maligned victim (a role he seems to revel in)
- Allow for all - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:42 am:
Walsh isn’t the only problem there. He has ver inept staff. The people working in district are a huge problem.
- MrJM - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:46 am:
“If you have the facts on your side, hammer the facts. If you have the law on your side, hammer the law. If you have neither the facts nor the law on your side, hammer the press.”
– MrJM
- Cheswick - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:50 am:
If we’re in court for something other than a wedding or a non-court case function, it’s a hearing.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:50 am:
Walsh is the poster boy of our strange times. You wouldn’t think he would be possible in 2011 Illinois, but there he is. The scofflaw, rarely employed, deadbeat dad who can lecture Warren Buffett on what it takes to make money.
- Cheswick - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:51 am:
The court is hearing something, whether it’s argument, testimony, or just the status. Thus, hearing.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 8:58 am:
Stick a fork in the guy, he’s done.
- PaGo - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:03 am:
Unless you’re familiar with court lingo/jive, any Joe off the block would think “something” was being heard. Having said that, if you have ever dealt with family court, you are all too familiar with these status “hearings” in which attorneys only can deal with judge, giving updates on the progress of a case.
Let’s talk more about Walsh. Because God knows there’s not much more to discuss as Jerry Springer-ish as this topic.
- A.B. - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:16 am:
When the primary season begins, Hultgren is going to take Walsh apart. The Republicans in his district are scattering while he crashes and everyone will be launching themselves onto Hultgren’s ship. Honestly when it comes to building name ID in a new district, Hultgren probably couldn’t ask for anything better than the Walsh catastrophe.
- Seriously??? - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:23 am:
This guy has been a deadbeat trying to get out of his family responsibilities for years. I don’t see why this would be any different. The most disturbing thing is how many people continue to support him despite the facts.
- Transplant - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:38 am:
Status HEARING, pre-trial HEARING, counsel only HEARING, bond reduction HEARING. If it isn’t a civil union and it’s brought before a judge, it’s a hearing.
- reformer - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:39 am:
This is reportedly Walsh’s fifth attorney.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:49 am:
The Tea Party-types who champion Walsh would, I’m sure, be just as patient with ethical or financial lapses by Jesse Jackson Jr. or Bobby Rush. Right? Wouldn’t they?
- Deep South - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 9:56 am:
Playing the victim is a major Tea Party M.O. They’re very good at it.
- just sayin' - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 10:02 am:
Gullible tea partiers who went along and played footsie with the state gop regulars on other issues are about to get a hard lession in IL politics.
Walsh is being thrown under the bus by the state gop. A member of the state central committee, Jerry Clarke, is reportedly even running Hultgren’s campaign.
I do have to say in this case I agree with not supporting Walsh. But I was never a Walsh guy to begin with like the tea partiers were.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 10:11 am:
I’ll pile on: I’ve never attended for my clients a “status proceeding,” it’s always a status hearing.
And regarding staff, at the Lake County Fair, he had a table, with one staff member there reading a book, not trying to make any eye contact, when we passed by.
- k3_Spfld_Chi - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 10:46 am:
The largest problem isn’t that he is attacking the media because he can’t attack anyone else. The problem is that they are terrible at it.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 10:49 am:
I cannot wait until his fifteen minutes of fame, if that’s what his term in office can be declared,
is over…when I get embarrased about Quinn, I always have this doofus’ actions to compare them to…therein lies the problem in IL people…
- Esquire - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 11:47 am:
Joe Walsh reminds me of Michael Patrick Flanagan: one and done.
I would not beat up so much on the Republicans or Tea Partiers who voted for him. Melissa Beane was never much of a US Representative and a vote for Walsh was just a vote against Beane. When it is time to throw a politician out, sometimes you have to deal with the fact that the challenger is less than perfect.
- walkinfool - Thursday, Sep 15, 11 @ 4:37 pm:
Such a side show! All I care about Walsh is that he hasn’t a clue about how the US economy actully works, and he is too full of himself to learn.
- Lincoln Lad - Friday, Sep 16, 11 @ 8:05 am:
Maybe Walsh should come out to:
1. Let the uninsured die in our nation’s emergency rooms,
2. Have more inmates executed in our prisons
He can then speak for right-to-life…
His base will be energized as they pound their chests and claim to be faith based patriots.
- Tim - Friday, Sep 16, 11 @ 2:04 pm:
===Honestly when it comes to building name ID in a new district, Hultgren probably couldn’t ask for anything better than the Walsh catastrophe.===
Hultgren’s a lucky guy. When he ran for state Senate in ‘06, his opponent in the GOP primary got arrested, effectively killing his campaign. Now he gets put into a district with a deadbeat dad. Winning!